Illuminated sign.



0. GRAHMANN. ILLUMINATED SIGN. APPLICATION FILED 00w. 24, 1912.

1,083,362. Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

5W4. Wadi,

GHMMMP UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO GRAHMANN, OF ('JANTON', OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO AUGUSTUS VIGNOS, OF CANTON. OHIO.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

' illuminated signs in which the letters or other charactersxare formed by an appropriate arrangement of lenses, electric or other lights being arranged back of said lenses to cause the letters or characters to appear brilliantly illuminated.

More specifically the invention refers to the form of such lenses and the method of attachment of the same to the sign front.

The objects of the invention are to generally improve devices of the character mentioned, to provide a lens particularly adapted to transmit diffused rays of light, and to provide means for attaching such lenses to a sheet metal sign front so that said lenses may not only be easily fastened to ,said front, but may be held securely in place when so fastened. These objects, together with other objects apparent to those skilled in the art, may be attained by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, although the invention may be embodied in other forms, the construction illustrated being chosen by way of example.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an illuminated sign embodying my invention. ,Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the lenses. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical, sectional view through a portion of the sign front and one of the lenses, showing said lens partially inserted into the lens aperture." Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the lens fully seated and attached. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the sign front showing the shape of the lens aperture employed in accordance with my invention.

Throughout the several views similar reference numerals indicate similar parts.

More ecifically describing the construction disc osed in said drawings, 1 indicates the back, 2 the top, 3 the bottom, and 4 the end of an illuminated sign provided with a sheet metal .front 5. Connected to the top and bottom 2 and 3 are a plurality of electric lamps 6 or their e uivalent. Y

The front 5 is provi ed with any suitable Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed October 24, 1912.

; ing into said aperture.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

Serial No. 727,493.

letters or characters, such as the letters D R, as shown in Fig. 1 and lenses 7 of my invented construction are fastened to the front- 5 in the lens apertures 8 for the purpose of transmitting light from the lamps 6.

Each lens 7 is preferably formed of glass, either clear or colored, as may be preferred, and comprises the externallyconvex head 9 provided with the rear, annular, sign-frontengaging ledge 10 and the integral shank 11 provided with the lateral notches 12. In the drawings I have shown the shank 11 as cylindric and the notches as being diametrically opposite, which is my present preferred form of construction. Each'notch is preferably so formed that its bottom is inchne'd, the bottom at the edge adjacent the ledge 10 being substantially in line with the outer surface of the shank 11 and extending. thence downwardly and rearwardly and terminating at the stop ledge 13' which is a continuation of the cylindric body of the shank.

The rear or shank portion of the lens body is preferably formed concave, as shown in the drawings and the said concave surface is preferably provided with a series ofangular depressed furrows 14 having their inner ranged in radial or rosette relation thereabout.

Each lens aperture 8 is of the form illustrated in Fig. 5, the greater portion of the aperture being so formed as to be a sliding fit for the shank 11 of the lens and two diametrically opposite locking .lugs 15, formed integrally with the front 5 extend- In making the front ends joined in the axis of the lens and ar- 5 the lugs 15 are permitted to remain in the same plane with the sheet metal of which the front is composed and each lens is attached to the front by forcin its shank into the appropriate aperture from the front, thus bending the lugs 15 backwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, until the pointis reached where said lugs may spring down into the notches 12, the ends of said lugs engaging the ledge '13, as illustrated in Fig. 4. In this position the ledge 10 will engage the surface of, the front 5', as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, and'the lens 'will be held in position against accidental or. unintentional displacement. It

15 so that said lugs may spring into said notches when the lens is properly seated.

Various changes of form and detail of construction may, of course, be made as circumstances require or experience suggest without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims, the above described construction being merely the best mode in which I have contemplated applying the principle of the invention.

I claim;

1. For a sheet metal sign front provided with an aperture and integral portions of said front forming lugs extending from the edge of said aperture inward in the general plane of said front; a lens provided with a shank adapted to slidingly fit said apertureand having lateral notches, said lugs adapted to be bent out of said plane by the insertion of said shank into said aperture and adapted to sprin into said notches when the same are brought into position to receive them.

2. For a sheet metal sign front provided with a circular aperture and integral portions of said front forming lugs extending from the edge toward the center of said aperture in the general plane of said front; a lens provided with a cylindrical shank adapted to slidably fit said aperture and having lateral notches, said lugs adapted to be bent out of said plane by the insertionof said shank into said aperture and adapted to resiliently enter said lateral notches when the same are brought into position to receive them.

3. For a sheet metal sign front provided with a circular aperture and integral portions of said front forming lugs extending from the edge of said aperture; a lens proyided with a sign-front-engaging ledge and an integral shank adapted to slidingly enter said aperture, said shank provided with lateral notches'having stop ledges at their rear limits, said lugs adapted to bend out of said plane to permit said shank to enter said aperture and also adapted to enter said notches when said sign-front-engaging ledge is brought into engagement with said front,

the ends of said lugs engaging said stop ledges.

with an aperture and lugs formed integrally with said front, a lens provided with a head portion and a shank portion, said head portion being of greater diameter than said shank and forming a sign-front-engaging ledge, and said shank provided with lateral notches adapted to receive said lugs.

5. For a sheet metal sign front provided with a circular aperture, and integral por' tions of said front forming lugs extending inwardly from the edge of said aperture, a

lens provided with a head portion and an integral shank portion of cylindrical shape and less in diameter than said head portion,

said head portion forming a sign-front-engaging ledge, said shank provided with lateral notches having bottoms downwardly and rearwardly inclined from the outer surface of said shank adjacent said sign-frontengaging ledge, integral portions of said shank forming stop ledges at the rear limits of said notches, and said lugs adapted to bend out of said plane to permit said shank to enter said aperture and adapted to enter said notches when the sign-front-engaging ledge is brought into engagement with said signfront', said lugs when in said notches, adapted to bear flat against the bottoms thereof with the ends of said lugs engaging said stop ledges.

In testimony that I claim the above, .I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

" OTTO GRAHMANN.

Witnesses:

IVILLIAM H. MILLER, HAZEL OWEN. 

